About the Truncate Text Tool
Meta descriptions, product titles, tweets, push notifications and preview cards all have length limits, and text that is too long gets cut off in awkward places. This tool shortens text to a limit you choose, counted in characters or in words. It can cut at the last whole word instead of in the middle of one, add an ellipsis or another ending such as Read more, and count that ending inside the limit so the final length never goes over. Paste your text, set the limit and copy the neat result. The tool also tells you the final length.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Truncate Text Tool
- 1Paste your text into the left box.
- 2Choose to limit by characters or words.
- 3Enter the maximum length, such as 160 for a meta description.
- 4Set the ending, keep it as an ellipsis or leave it empty.
- 5Copy the shortened text.
Common limits
- Meta title: about 60 characters.
- Meta description: about 155 to 160 characters.
- Tweet or post on X: 280 characters.
- SMS in one part: 160 characters in basic encoding.
- Instagram caption preview: about 125 characters before More.
Example
The sentence Truncating text shortens it to fit a limit, such as a meta description, a tweet or a product title, with a limit of 40 characters and the ending counted inside, becomes Truncating text shortens it to fit a… The tool backs off to the last space, removes the comma or other punctuation hanging at the end and adds the ellipsis, so the result reads as intended.
When you shorten text for a title tag or a headline, check the result by reading it aloud. A cut that lands after a small word such as the, of or and sounds unfinished, so move the limit down a few characters or reword the sentence. For lists of items, such as product names, run each one through separately. The tool handles several lines pasted together by treating them as one text, so shorten one line at a time if each needs its own limit.
Writing for limits
Cutting is a last resort. Where you can, rewrite the text so that the key point comes first and the most important words survive the cut. Search engines may rewrite your description anyway, but a tight, front-loaded one improves the chance of being shown as written. The SERP Snippet Preview and the Meta Description Generator on this site help you plan descriptions properly.
Related tools
The Character Counter measures length before and after, the Word Counter counts words, the Word Wrap Tool breaks lines rather than shortening them, and the Social Media Character Counter shows limits for each network.
Features
- Limit by characters or words
- Cut at a whole word
- Custom ending such as an ellipsis
- Ending can count inside the limit
- Shows the final length
- Copy and download
Frequently asked questions
How do I shorten text to 160 characters?
Paste it, choose Characters and enter 160. With the ending counted inside the limit and Cut at a whole word ticked, the result is at most 160 characters including the ellipsis and ends on a full word.
What is the ideal meta description length?
Google shows roughly 150 to 160 characters on desktop and a little fewer on mobile, so most guides recommend staying within 155 to 160. Use the SEO tools on this site to preview how a snippet looks.
Does it cut in the middle of a word?
Not if Cut at a whole word is ticked. The tool backs up to the last space before the limit and removes trailing punctuation, so the text ends on a complete word. Untick it for an exact length.
How do I limit to a number of words?
Choose Words, enter the number, and the tool keeps that many words from the start and adds the ending. It does not need the ending counting option because the limit is in words.
Why is my result shorter than the limit?
Cutting at a whole word can remove a few letters, and the ending takes up part of the limit when it is counted inside. Untick those options if you want to fill the limit exactly.
Does it work with emoji and accented letters?
Yes. Characters are counted as whole symbols, so an accented letter or an emoji counts as one. Some systems, such as older SMS standards, count them differently, so check your target platform.